When it comes to what church we go to we think about the pros and cons of this
church or that church because we don't have a perfect church and especially in
certain areas that you might live in there could be a shortage of good
churches so you have to decide what your priorities are. You have to decide what's
the best option, right? Where am I going to go to church? And when we evaluate
churches do we emphasize what God emphasizes? Well if we want to know what
God thinks about churches all we have to do is look at Revelation chapters 2 and
3 and in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 he has a message to seven different
churches and he evaluates them he talks about the pros and he talks about the
cons and you know what every single one of them he starts out by saying I know
thy works that's the most repeated thing in that passage and if you would
flip over to that passage I want to show you something in particular look at
chapter 2 of Revelation the fact that God brings it up first that's emphasis I
know thy works the fact that he repeats it seven times that's emphasis I know
thy works the fact that he said do the first works but look down if you would
at Revelation chapter number two the message to Thyatira it says in verse 19
I know thy works and charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy works
he already said works he brings up the works at the beginning and then he
brings up the works at the end and then listen what he says and the last to be
more than the first so the first thing he mentioned is works the last thing he
mentions the works and he says the last is more than the first I think what he
means by that is you're increasing in your works that's on the good side for
this church look if God is just repeating works and bringing up their
works all the time that tells me that when God looks at a church one of the
things he's looking at first and foremost Paramount is the works so that
tells me that if a church crosses every doctrinal T and dots every doctrinal I
but they're not doing the works but they're dead they're not reaching the
city for the gospel they're not knocking any doors they're not winning any souls
to Christ you know that tells me that's not a good church because they're
failing the first test the works he'll remove the candlestick I'd rather go to
a church that was a little off doctrinally and I'm not talking about
doctrines that are deal-breakers like the gospel or you know having obviously
having the King James Bible is an essential having salvation by faith
that's non-negotiable but I'm talking about other doctrines secondary
doctrines you know Bible prophecy interpretations or just other issues
about you know the music or the you know the style of the church or you know the
first thing I would look at is do they practice soul-winning because I'd rather
go to a church that was a little off on minor doctrines that was a strong
soul-winning Church than a church that just crosses every T dots every I
they're just dead on on Bible prophecy but there's no soul-winning there's no
work being done they just sit around being right just they just sit around
just man we're so right we got our doctrine perfect let's just talk about
how right we are no let's get out there and win somebody to Christ because what
God emphasizes is the work that we're doing that's what God is